Blood Disorders
Hematopoiesis (hema=blood) refers to the process of formation, development and differentiation of all types of blood cells. All cellular blood components are derived from haematopoietic stem cells, including leukocytes and erythrocytes. The leukocytes or white blood cells (WBCs) are the cells of the immune system defending the body against both infectious disease and foreign materials. The erythrocytes are the non-nucleated, biconcave, disk-like cells which contain hemoglobin and these cells are essential for the transport of oxygen. A reduction in the number of white blood cells is called leukopenia whereas anemia refers to that condition which exists when there is a reduction below normal in the number of erythrocytes, the quantity of hemoglobin, or the volume of packed red blood cells in the blood. Disorders of the blood and the several kinds of leukopenia and anemia may be produced by a variety of underlying causes, including chemotherapy (e.g. chemotherapy induced anemia) and cancers (e.g. cancer related anemia). Therefore, there is a need for novel compositions and methods to stimulate hematopoiesis and to address the undesirable side effects of myelosuppression induced by chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Kidney Diseases
The kidney is a structurally complex organ that has evolved to perform a number of important functions: excretion of the waste products of metabolism, regulation of body water and salt, maintenance of appropriate acid balance, and secretion of a variety of hormones and autocoids. Diseases of the kidney are as complex as its structure, but their study is facilitated by dividing them by their effects on four basic morphologic components: glomeruli, tubules, interstitium, and blood vessels. Unfortunately, some disorders affect more than one structure and the anatomic interdependence of structures in the kidney implies that damage to one almost always secondarily affects the others. Thus, whatever the origin, there is a tendency for all forms of renal disease ultimately to destroy all four components of the kidney, culminating in chronic renal failure. For instance, in autoimmune diseases such as diabetes mellitus, the kidneys are prime targets to suffer tissue damage or lesions. Nephrectomy, or kidney removal, a procedure which is sometimes performed on patients with kidney cancer (e.g. renal cell carcinoma), may negatively impact kidney function in the remaining kidney. Chemotherapy and immunosuppressive therapy are also a source of harmful effects to the kidneys. Therefore, there exists a need for drugs with a good safety profile which can be administered to patients with kidney disease. There is also a need for pharmaceutical compounds which can prolong kidney health or protect it from deterioration to the point at which the kidney can no longer function.
Inflammation
Immune Mediated inflammatory Disease (IMID) refers to any of a group of conditions or diseases that lack a definitive etiology but which are characterized by common inflammatory pathways leading to inflammation, and which may result from, or be triggered by, a dysregulation of the normal immune response. Autoimmune disease refers to any of a group of diseases or disorders in which tissue injury is associated with a humoral and/or cell-mediated immune response to body constituents or, in a broader sense, an immune response to self. Current treatments for autoimmune disease can be broadly classified into two groups: those drugs which dampen or suppress the immune response to self and those drugs which address the symptoms that arise from chronic inflammation. In greater detail, conventional treatments for autoimmune diseases (e.g., primarily arthritis) are (1) Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, etodolac, and ketoprofen; (2) Corticosteroids such as prednisone and dexamethasone; (3) Disease-Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs (DMARDs) such as methotrexate, azathioprine, cyclophosphamide, cyclosporin A. Sandimmune™, Neoral™, and FK506 (tacrolimus); (4) Biologicals such as the recombinant proteins Remicade™, Enbrel™ and Humira. While numerous therapies are available, conventional treatments are not routinely efficacious. More problematic is the accompanying toxicity which often prohibits the long-term use necessary with a chronic disease. Therefore, there is a need for compounds that are useful for the treatment of inflammatory-related diseases, including chronic and non-chronic autoimmune disease.
Oxidative Stress
Oxidative stress is caused by an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species and a biological system's ability to readily detoxify the reactive intermediates or easily repair the resulting damage. Although reactive oxygen species can be beneficial, as they are used in cell signaling and by the immune system they are also involved in many diseases. Therefore, a need still exists for compounds which can help maintain a proper balance in levels of reactive oxygen species in order to prevent damage to the cell or its components that may be caused by toxic effects of such reactive species.
The present invention addresses these needs for new treatment methods, compounds, and pharmaceutical compositions.
Indeed, it was unknown prior to the present invention that substituted aromatic compounds as defined herein may be therapeutically effective agents for the prevention and/or treatment of (i) blood disorders, (ii) renal disorders, nephropathy, and/or a renal disorder complication; (iii) an inflammatory-related disease; and/or (iv) oxidative stress related disorder.
Additional features of the invention will be apparent from review of the disclosure, figures and description of the invention below.